1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bag for carrying sports equipment to and from an athletic event.
2. Description of Related Art
When a person is engaged in an organized sport, such as basketball, hockey, baseball, football, track, tennis, etc., uniforms and other equipment must be carried to and from the contest. While playing, athletes sweat, causing their uniforms to become wet and smelly. After the game, the players shower, but their uniforms and equipment do not. Instead, they are thrown into a bag for transport home. Sometimes it is days before they are unpacked for cleaning. Mildew, odors, and deterioration of clothing result, conditions which are alleviated by the disclosed invention.
In addition, sports equipment, e.g., shoes, pads, balls, pucks, racquets, etc., often become wet and/or dirty. It is desirable to be able to convey them safely without soiling the environment around them, such as the bus, car, or house through which they travel before they can be cleaned.
Prior inventors have addressed some of these issues. A representative sample known to the inventor follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,251,404 issued to Mills discloses a beach bag having a top compartment for receiving wet swimsuits, towels, etc., connected to a lower, water-tight compartment by means of apertures in a dividing wall. Dripping wet items drain their fluids through the apertures into the lower compartment where they are trapped until the reservoir can be emptied through a closable outlet. While loose liquids can drip from the wet items, the items themselves do not dry. They remain moist and subject to mildew and rot, until they are removed from the beach bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,264,755 issued to Moore discloses a clothes drying bag in which a fluid-tight bag is divided into two compartments: one, a pressure compartment selectively attached through an open connector to the outlet hose of a hair dryer, and two, a drying compartment into which wet clothing is placed. Venturi ports connect the two compartments which allow heated air to be forced through the compartments to escape through eight small holes at the top of the second compartment. Until the hair dryer is attached, the clothes remain damp and sealed in a virtually air tight bag. However, loose water is free to drain out indiscriminately through the holes and the open connector onto whatever is near.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,073 issued to Hendon discloses a cotton harvesting bag made of waterproof material for storing newly harvested cotton. A pair of vents, with oversized flaps loosely hanging over them to xe2x80x9crainproofxe2x80x9d the cotton, provides xe2x80x9cfor air circulation through bag 10 . . . commensurate with waterproofing.xe2x80x9d The thrust of the patent is to prevent the cotton from becoming wet, for in spite of the vents, the bag is unsuited for drying wet cotton.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,842 issued to Mokiao, U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,897 issued to Sperber, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,296 issued to Masters disclose bags with mesh exterior walls so that wet items, e.g., wetsuits, in their internal compartments can dry. There are no means provided for covering the mesh in order to seal the interior compartments. Consequently, moisture and dirt can enter through the mesh, and odors can egress therefrom. Being exposed, the mesh is subject to damage by being snagged on passing objects.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,150 issued to Bearman discloses a beach bag having a fluid impervious outer bag and a smaller internal mesh bag. Wet beach clothing, towels, etc., are placed in the mesh bag where the sand thereon can sift through the mesh into the outer bag. The outer bag has a pair of openings, one in the top for entry into the mesh bag and one in the bottom for dumping the sand from the beach bag. Bearman does not contemplate the problem of drying the clothing while in the bag, and the two openings, normally closed, would be insufficient even if opened to allow the clothing to dry.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,199 issued to Clement discloses a sports equipment bag having a water resistant outer bag and a removable inner mesh bag. The outer bag has external pockets for such items as shoes and other sports equipment. Sweaty uniforms and other wet equipment are placed in the mesh bag for transport. Should the athlete not take the time to remove the mesh bag, it remains totally confined in the outer bag, and the wet clothing is once again subject to rotting or mildew. If the athlete is diligent and removes the mesh bag, air will circulate through the mesh material, permitting the wet items to dry. But then the two bags must once again be reassembled.
It is an object of the invention to provide a sports bag designed to transport wet or damp articles enable wet or damp articles stored within to dry without being removed from the bag.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a sports bag which can be used to transport wet and dirty articles without soiling surfaces to which the bag comes in contact.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a sports bag having a top opening for removing and inserting articles which can be easily opened and closed.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a sports bag which can be carried as a backpack to allow easier transport of heavy and/or bulky articles.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a sports bag having the above-noted features which is simple and economical to manufacture.
The present invention overcomes the difficulties described above by providing a sports equipment bag having a water-resistant outer shell with multiple ventilation assemblies for exposing the interior of the bag to free air circulation. Each ventilation assembly includes an opening formed in the outer shell that is covered by a mesh lining and a flap which can be selectively opened and closed using a zipper. In one embodiment, the bag includes openings on both sides and both ends of the bag. In an alternate embodiment, the bag includes openings on both sides only. In another alternate embodiment, the bag includes an opening at one end and a fan assembly located at the other end. The fan assembly includes an electric fan which draws air through the bag.